Priority question for written answer P-000699/2025/rev.1 to the Commission Rule 144 Maciej Wąsik (ECR)
During a joint press conference with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 7 February 2025, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated unambiguously that ‘Poland will not accept any burdens related to the relocation mechanism that could result from some provisions of the migration pact’[1]. As the reason for his refusal, Donald Tusk indicated that Poland is facing constant pressure from Belarus, acting in cooperation with Russia, and that Poland took in 2 million refugees from Ukraine immediately after the Russian invasion of the country.
In the light of the foregoing:
1.What is the opinion of the Commission regarding the above statements made by the Polish Prime Minister?
2.Will the Commission confirm that Poland may, by its own decision, refuse to accept relocation as a solidarity measure?
3.May Poland refrain from implementing elements of the Pact on Migration and Asylum?
Question for written answer E-000789/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Kathleen Funchion (The Left), Lynn Boylan (The Left)
President Javier Milei of Argentina has in the past suggested that Argentina may exit the Paris Climate Agreement.
A fact sheet[1] on the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement published by the Commission states:
‘In the agreement, the EU and Mercosur commit to effectively implement the Paris Climate Agreement and to cooperate on the climate aspects of trade. Furthermore, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change becomes an “essential element” of the agreement, which means that a party can suspend the agreement if it considers that there is a serious breach of the Paris Agreement or if a party leaves the Paris Agreement.’
Can the Commission confirm that should Argentina exit the Paris Climate Agreement, this would result in the immediate suspension of the EU-Mercosur agreement, as stated in the Commission fact sheet?
Question for written answer E-000788/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Anna Bryłka (PfE)
Is the Commission carrying out legislative work in the following areas (please provide information on the ‘state of play’):
1.Eliminating anti-dumping duties on imports of urea, ammonium nitrate and UAN mixtures originating from the USA and Trinidad and Tobago?
2.Suspending conventional duties on imports of urea, UAN, DAP, MAP and NPK (codes 3102 10, 3102 80, 3105 30, 3105 40 and 3105 20 from the tariff nomenclature)?
3.Granting derogations under the Nitrates Directive to allow the use of processed livestock effluents (RENURE – Recovered Nitrogen from ManURE and certain digestates) beyond the current limit of 170 kg N/hectare?
Question for written answer E-000791/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Branko Grims (PPE)
For a number of years construction has been under way in Ljubljana of the C0 sewer main to carry sewage and waste water across the Ljubljansko polje aquifer, which is under a strict water protection regime with VVO IIA water protection status. In one part, the C0 sewer even abuts the strictest water protection area of the city of Ljubljana, categorised as VVO I. The C0 sewer has been declared inadmissible from a legal, technical and health point of view. As far as the legal aspect is concerned, we would point out that it does not seem to have all the necessary permits for this type of construction in the protected area.
On 10 February 2025, experts made representations to, among others, the Slovenian Government, calling for an immediate stop to the construction of the C0 sewer and for the prevention of threats to public health involving a large number of people, on the basis of the following facts: parts of the C0 sewer that have already been built are visibly leaking, even though it is not yet in service; construction is also prohibited under the VVO protection regulation; a new way to carry sewage and waste water from Vodice and Medvode needs to be found; the entire project will not meet the planned objective of ensuring sufficient waste water treatment and will not meet the conditions under which it is financed with EU funds.
On the basis of the situation as set out above, I would like to ask the Commission for its opinion on this issue, and whether – and how – it will take action to protect human health and European funds.
Question for written answer E-000482/2025/rev.1 to the Commission Rule 144 Piotr Müller (ECR)
Following the recent scandal involving Frans Timmermans, the former EU Commissioner for Climate, regarding the EU’s funding of environmental organisations to lobby for green policies, including the ‘Fit for 55’ programme, the findings on environmental standards and restrictions appeared to have been artificially excessive and unjustified in the public eye from the outset.
Today, we are justified in asserting that they were falsified with EU money and at the EU’s behest.
Please provide specific answers to the following questions:
1.Does the Commission know the amount of funding allocated to these organisations? If so, what was the amount?
2.According to what criterion were the organisations selected to receive this funding?
3.Who gave the order to carry out lobbying activities in the above case?
The Commission views the EU-Mercosur Agreement as politically and economically vital. The Commission’s objective is to ensure that the EU-Mercosur Agreement[1] delivers on the EU’s sustainability goals, while respecting the EU’s sensitivities in the agricultural sector.
Chief Negotiators met in October 2024 to discuss the outstanding issues. These include: the EU proposal for a Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Joint Instrument[2], inclusion of the Paris Agreement as an essential element of the EU-Mercosur Agreement and Mercosur’s interests in the areas of public procurement, vehicles, export duties, a rebalancing mechanism, and a protocol on cooperation.
On 6 December at the Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, the EU and Mercosur reached a political agreement concluding the negotiations.
In September 2024, eleven Member States[3] addressed a letter to the President expressing strong support for a rapid conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
These Member States reiterated the high geopolitical and geoeconomic importance of the Agreement and its essential role in maintaining the EU’s economic and political influence in the region.
They also noted that the agreement provides a unique platform for cooperation between the EU and the Mercosur countries on trade and sustainable development matters, ensuring that we can achieve our common sustainability and climate change ambitions.
[3] The following Member States are signatories to the letter: Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Question for written answer E-000841/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Christophe Bay (PfE), Christophe Gomart (PPE), Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE), France Jamet (PfE), André Rougé (PfE), Mélanie Disdier (PfE), Marie Dauchy (PfE), Sarah Knafo (ESN), Pierre Pimpie (PfE), Gilles Pennelle (PfE)
The EU-Algeria Association Agreement, in force since 2005, was intended to secure a balanced economic partnership. However, for several years now, and increasingly since 2021, Algeria has been repeatedly violating this agreement by imposing unilateral protectionist measures wholly at odds with its obligations.
The imposition of arbitrary restrictions on European imports, the discriminatory granting of licences, the blocking of payments, as well as the reintroduction of the 51-49% rule for foreign investments illustrate a clear desire on the part of the Algerian authorities to distort competition to the detriment of European companies. Algeria has also ceased to apply preferential tariff quotas in respect of agricultural and industrial products.
Despite the Commission’s warnings and the initiation of a dispute settlement procedure in June 2024, no improvement has been observed.
Maintaining this agreement and considering its renegotiation in 2025 would therefore be tantamount to condoning these violations and undermining the credibility of the EU’s trade commitments.
In light of the foregoing, can the Commission clarify:
1.What measures does it intend to take to immediately suspend the Agreement, in accordance with Article 107 thereof, in order to protect the EU’s economic interests?
2.Is it considering imposing targeted economic sanctions and a more restrictive trade policy on this country which has failed to honour its commitments?
Parliamentarians will gather in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ensuring the full participation of women in decision-making, particularly in defence, security and peacebuilding.
When: Thursday 6 March 2025, 09:00 – 12:30 CET
Where: European Parliament in Brussels, ANTALL building, room 6Q2 and via streaming.
To mark the 2025 International Women’s Days, the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality is organising an interparliamentary committee meeting on “Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – Upholding Women’s Rights in Defence, Security and Peace Building”. Representatives of member states, EU institutions, the European Parliament and EU national parliaments will discuss the need to ensure the full participation of women in decision-making processes, particularly in defence, security, and peacebuilding, where their leadership can lead to more inclusive and lasting peaceful outcomes.
The introductory remarks will be delivered by Polish Minister of Equality Katarzyna Kotula (by remote connection) and by Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management.
The meeting will include two sessions, each comprising presentations and a Q&A session.
Journalists are also invited to a media seminar, organised on Wednesday afternoon on the same topics, with MEPs and guests from Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, and international organisations.
Parliament also committed to developing a foreign, security and development policy that prioritises gender equality, protects and promotes the human rights of traditionally marginalised groups, such as transgender people, and takes into account the voices of women and LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders and civil society.
Question for written answer E-000842/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Li Andersson (The Left)
According to the latest information, the European Commission will be publishing its Omnibus Sustainability package this week. It contains amendments to key acts in EU legislation, such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Directive on corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD). Leaked information suggests that the Commission is proposing measures that would significantly undermine companies’ duty of diligence, such as opportunities for victims to seek justice, fines for those who break the law and the implementation of climate requirements. Furthermore, it is proposed that the requirements concerning reporting be limited to the biggest companies only, meaning that a large number of companies would not need to report on sustainability. This would compromise the EU’s sustainability goals and would result in legal uncertainty, both for companies and the Member States, which have begun to implement the current legislation.
It is worth noting that, when the Omnibus project was being prepared, no proper assessment was undertaken of its impact and there was no public consultation on it. There were serious flaws in evidence in the selection of those to attend the ‘Reality Check and Roundtable’ organised by the Commission in February: participating in the talks were mainly representatives of large companies, including companies that are currently the subject of legal proceedings for human rights violations and environmental offences, while the voices of civil society, trade unions and responsible companies virtually went unheard. This is a breach of the Commission’s own principle of ‘better regulation’ and jeopardises the EU’s principles of the rule of law and democracy.
1.How can the Commission justify the preparation of the Omnibus project in the absence of any adequate assessment of its impact or any public consultation, especially given the fact that the changes may seriously undermine the EU’s sustainability goals?
2.Does the Commission think that the preparatory process for the Omnibus package was transparent, democratic and in line with the Commission’s own principle of ‘better regulation’?
3.How will the Commission respond to those companies that have already invested substantially in implementing the current sustainability requirements?
Question for written answer E-000833/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (PfE)
On 12 December 2024, the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. As stipulated in the directive, producers of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products should cover 80 % of the additional costs of quaternary water treatment given that their products are considered to be ‘the main sources of micropollutants found in urban wastewater’.
However, some in these sectors have voiced their disagreement, as although the Commission has attributed 92 % of the toxic load of micropollutants to these sectors, it has not provided the methodology used to calculate this figure. Independent research suggests a much lower figure of around 10 %.
In view of the above:
1.Can the Commission provide more detail on the methodology used to calculate the percentage in question?
2.Is the Commission considering imposing a moratorium on the financial obligations incumbent on companies from these sectors under the ‘omnibus package’ until the pollution percentage has been correctly assessed?
On 18 March 2025, the European Parliament and the European Commission will co-host the third edition of the EU Tax Symposium in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels, with the participation of National Parliaments.
This year, the event will take place under the theme: Strengthening competitiveness and fairness to build prosperity.
The next meeting of the Delegation for relations with Iran will take place on Thursday, 6 March 2025 at 11.15-12.45 in Brussels The meeting will be webstreamed and can be followed throughout the link
The EIB Global facility will support businesses owned by women, run by women, employing or serving women, in line with the 2X Challenge.
The credit line will offer longer-term loans tailored to the needs of small businesses. It will help to grow the economy and create decent jobs by boosting private-sector investment.
The EIB loan is backed by the European Commission and European Union member states through the African, Caribbean and Pacific Trust Fund.
The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) and Stanbic have launched a €20 million (ZWG 525.9 million) credit line, to provide longer-term loans at favourable conditions to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Zimbabwe. The facility will focus on SMEs and businesses owned or run by women, which employ a significant number of women, or which offer services specifically to women.
The African continent has one of the highest percentages of women entrepreneurs in the world. More than half the SMEs in Zimbabwe are led by women, while over half of Zimbabwean companies say that limited access to credit is preventing their growth. Worldwide, women-run businesses are less likely to be able to access the finance they need. In line with the EU’s Global Gateway which contributes to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide, the EIB-Stanbic facility will address this financing gap with financial tools targeting the needs of women entrepreneurs and advance women’s economic empowerment in Zimbabwe. It contributes to the 2X Challenge, an initiative to mobilise investment that increases women’s participation in the economy in emerging markets, by improving women’s access to finance, leadership opportunities and quality employment.
“With over half of the SMEs in Zimbabwe owned by women, EIB Global support for these businesses will have a real impact on economic growth, jobs and prosperity,” commented Thomas Östros, EIB Vice-President responsible for diversity and inclusion as well as for operations in Southern Africa. “Backing women in business contributes to more sustainable and inclusive growth, strengthening communities.”
“This initiative aligns with our core belief that Zimbabwe is our home, we drive her growth. By supporting SMEs and enterprises owned or run by women and employing significant numbers of women we are fostering economic inclusion and national development. By empowering SMEs and women-run businesses we are empowering families, communities, and ultimately, the nation. Through this partnership, we are committed to driving meaningful change and unlocking opportunities for women entrepreneurs and SMEs across Zimbabwe through provision of much-needed medium-term funding,” said Solomon Nyanhongo, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank.
Jobst von Kirchmann, Ambassador of the European Union to Zimbabwe, added, “Investing in women is investing in Zimbabwe’s future. Through the Team Europe Initiative on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, the EU and EU Member States are working together to create a transformative impact for Zimbabwean women. This dedicated credit line complements Team Europe’s efforts on the ground in implementing the Global Gateway Strategy – we are not only unlocking opportunities for women entrepreneurs but also driving inclusive economic growth. This partnership between the EU, EIB Global, and Stanbic demonstrates our commitment to women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion, creating jobs, and strengthening Zimbabwe’s private sector.”
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. We aim to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 — around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world. High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.
The 2X Challenge is an initiative to mobilise investment that increases women’s participation in the economy in emerging markets, by improving women’s access to finance, leadership opportunities and quality employment. To improve the impact of its activities on women and girls, the EIB has adopted a Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment and a Gender Action Plan with the aim of embedding gender equality and, in particular, women’s economic empowerment in the EIB’s business model covering its lending, blending and advising work within and outside the European Union.
Global Gateway is the European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. Through a ‘Team Europe approach’, Global Gateway brings together the EU, its Member States and their financial and development institutions to mobilise the private sector to leverage investments promoting sustainable growth.
Between 2021 and 2027, Team Europe is mobilising up to €300 billion of investments for sustainable, transformational and high-quality projects, taking into account the needs of partner countries and ensuring lasting benefits for local communities. This allows EU’s partners to create resilient and sustainable societies and economies, but also create opportunities for the EU Member States’ private sector to invest and remain competitive, whilst ensuring the highest environmental and labour standards, as well as sound financial management.
Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English
The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), in its capacity as the competent body for sanctions, has expanded its list of sanctions against Russia. Switzerland is adopting the additional measures decided by the EU in response to Russia’s continuing military aggression against Ukraine. The measures will take effect on 4 March.
Question for written answer E-000474/2025/rev.1 to the Council Rule 144 Jean-Marc Germain (S&D), Sandra Gómez López (S&D)
The Polish Presidency of the Council comes at a key moment. Facing many threats, we have no choice but to build a stronger Europe and we cannot achieve this without substantial financial resources. More than ever, now is the time to honour the promises of the 2020 Interinstitutional agreement[1] (IIA).
Proposals for new resources have been on the table ever since the IIA was reached. The 2020 agreement set a deadline of June 2025. Under the Polish Presidency of the Council, it is up to the Member States to bring this project to a successful conclusion.
During the hearings, Commissioner Piotr Serafin stated that he wanted to start from the Commission’s 2023 adjusted package for the next generation of own resources[2]. By contrast, the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, questioned the relevance of the new emissions trading system (ETS2) in his speech to Parliament, while it constitutes a decisive part of the new own resources.
1.What steps does the Council intend to take to honour this 2020 promise, which is vital if we are to meet the challenges of the moment of change we are experiencing at the start of this year?
2.What new own resources does the Council of the EU intend to put on the table for discussion during these six months of the Polish Presidency?
Submitted: 4.2.2025
[1] OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2020/1222/oj.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Presidium (headquarters) of the Government Commission on Regional Development made management decisions on 43 more unfinished construction projects included in the federal register of unfinished construction projects.
“At the recent operational meeting with deputy prime ministers, the Prime Minister noted the importance of improving the efficiency of federal property management for the sustainable development of regions. In this area, we are doing a lot of work to involve unused land plots in economic circulation so that they benefit people. Another area of work is unfinished construction projects financed from the federal budget, of which, unfortunately, there are many in the country. Among them are schools, clinics, dormitories, utility facilities and much more that people are waiting for. In recent years, the situation has gradually begun to change. Since 2022, the Ministry of Construction has begun to maintain a federal register of unfinished projects, and the government commission for regional development makes management decisions on them. Thanks to this, people can receive objects that are important for a comfortable life. In addition, an additional favorable environment is created for the development of populated areas, their appearance is improved, and citizens get new jobs. “So, we have made decisions to complete and commission another 43 unfinished buildings,” said Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that there are currently 773 unfinished construction projects in the federal register, of which management decisions have already been made for 696. Of these, 321 will be completed.
In addition, the Ministry of Construction is collecting and analyzing information regarding 77 unfinished buildings for subsequent submission to headquarters for consideration.
“The Russian Ministry of Construction is actively working with the subjects of the Russian Federation in terms of monitoring the development of regional regulatory legal acts similar to federal level documents. They provide for the maintenance of regional registers of unfinished capital construction projects, the construction and reconstruction of which were carried out in whole or in part at the expense of the budgets of the subjects and local budgets,” noted Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Yuri Gordeyev.
Information about unfinished construction projects financed by federal funds is included in the federal register based on data from the main budget funds administrators. This information is first sent to the Ministry of Construction and then checked by the interdepartmental commission. Entering an object in the register enables the presidium (headquarters) of the Government Commission for Regional Development to make decisions regarding the future fate of such an object.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Since the beginning of the year, the register of participants in the free economic zone (FEZ) of the new regions has been replenished with another 23 companies from the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions and now includes more than 300 organizations. Among the new participants are enterprises in the spheres of housing and road construction, metallurgy, woodworking and food industries, agriculture, trade and services, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.
“The SEZ in Donbass and Novorossiya is one of the youngest in the country, and already has 307 investors interested in working in the reunited regions. Their total investment portfolio, declared to date, amounts to almost 120 billion rubles. Thus, the SEZ allows us to solve strategic tasks in general, and also gives impetus to the powerful development of the territories,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Developers from the Donetsk People’s Republic were among the last to sign the agreement on joining the FEZ. They will build two residential buildings in Mariupol with 230 apartments and a total area of over 13,000 square meters, which they plan to commission by the end of 2026. An organization engaged in the repair and construction of highways also joined the FEZ participants. One of the largest investors from the DPR in recent times was a full-cycle metallurgical enterprise that specializes in the production of commercial cast iron, commercial blanks, rolled products and sheets.
The investment project of the organization from the Luhansk People’s Republic is based on the revival of the machine-building enterprise that produces railway gondola cars and special rolling stock in the city of Stakhanov. In addition, companies that produce building materials and are engaged in agriculture have become participants in the SEZ from the LPR.
Entrepreneurs from Zaporizhia and Kherson regions have also entered the free economic zone. Thus, five Zaporizhia organizations operate in the spheres of industry, agriculture, trade and services. A manufacturer from Kherson region is engaged in the woodworking industry and plans to establish a semi-automatic production line. Another company intends to organize uninterrupted fuel trade in Kherson region.
The authorized body for regulating the SEZ is the Ministry of Construction, and the functions of the management company are assigned to the PPK “Territorial Development Fund”.
“The number of SEZ participants is updated literally weekly. This once again confirms the interest of companies in receiving SEZ preferences. In addition, more than 89.6 thousand people will be involved in the implementation of projects. Both confirm the effectiveness of the economic instrument,” added Ilshat Shagiakhmetov, General Director of the Territorial Development Fund.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
A planet may have been destroyed by a white dwarf at the center of a planetary nebula — the first time this has been seen. As described in our latest press release, this would explain a mysterious X-ray signal that astronomers have detected from the Helix Nebula for over 40 years. The Helix is a planetary nebula, a late-stage star like our Sun that has shed its outer layers leaving a small dim star at its center called a white dwarf. This composite image contains X-rays from Chandra (magenta), optical light data from Hubble (orange, light blue), infrared data from ESO (gold, dark blue), and ultraviolet data from GALEX (purple) of the Helix Nebula. Data from Chandra indicates that this white dwarf has destroyed a very closely orbiting planet.
An artist’s concept shows a planet (left) that has approached too close to a white dwarf (right) and is being torn apart by tidal forces from the star. The white dwarf is in the center of a planetary nebula depicted by the blue gas in the background. The planet is part of a planetary system, which includes one planet in the upper left and another in the lower right. The besieged planet could have initially been a considerable distance from the white dwarf but then migrated inwards by interacting with the gravity of the other planets in the system. Eventually debris from the planet will form a disk around the white dwarf and fall onto the star’s surface, creating the mysterious signal in X-rays that astronomers have detected for decades. Dating back to 1980, X-ray missions, such as the Einstein Observatory and ROSAT telescope, have picked up an unusual reading from the center of the Helix Nebula. They detected highly energetic X-rays coming from the white dwarf at the center of the Helix Nebula named WD 2226-210, located only 650 light-years from Earth. White dwarfs like WD 2226-210 do not typically give off strong X-rays.
A new study featuring the data from Chandra and XMM-Newton may finally have settled the question of what is causing these X-rays from WD 2226-210: this X-ray signal could be the debris from a destroyed planet being pulled onto the white dwarf. If confirmed, this would be the first case of a planet seen to be destroyed by the central star in a planetary nebula. Observations by ROSAT, Chandra, and XMM-Newton between 1992 and 2002 show that the X-ray signal from the white dwarf has remained approximately constant in brightness during that time. The data, however, suggest there may be a subtle, regular change in the X-ray signal every 2.9 hours, providing evidence for the remains of a planet exceptionally close to the white dwarf. Previously scientists determined that a Neptune-sized planet is in a very close orbit around the white dwarf — completing one revolution in less than three days. The researchers in this latest study conclude that there could have been a planet like Jupiter even closer to the star. The besieged planet could have initially been a considerable distance from the white dwarf but then migrated inwards by interacting with the gravity of other planets in the system. Once it approached close enough to the white dwarf the gravity of the star would have partially or completely torn the planet apart. WD 2226-210 has some similarities in X-ray behavior to two other white dwarfs that are not inside planetary nebulas. One is possibly pulling material away from a planet companion, but in a more sedate fashion without the planet being quickly destroyed. The other white dwarf is likely dragging material from the vestiges of a planet onto its surface. These three white dwarfs may constitute a new class of variable, or changing, object. A paper describing these results appears in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available online. The authors of the paper are Sandino Estrada-Dorado (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Martin Guerrero (The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia in Spain), Jesús Toala (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Ricardo Maldonado (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Veronica Lora (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Diego Alejandro Vasquez-Torres (National Autonomous University of Mexico), and You-Hua Chu (Academia Sinica in Taiwan). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:
chandra
https://chandra.si.edu Visual Description This release features two images; a composite image of the Helix Nebula, and an artist’s rendering of a planet’s destruction, which may be occurring in the nebula’s core. The Helix Nebula is a cloud of gas ejected by a dying star, known as a white dwarf. In the composite image, the cloud of gas strongly resembles a creature’s eye. Here, a hazy blue cloud is surrounded by misty, concentric rings of pale yellow, rose pink, and blood orange. Each ring appears dusted with flecks of gold, particularly the outer edges of the eye-shape. The entire image is speckled with glowing dots in blues, whites, yellows, and purples. At the center of the hazy blue gas cloud, a box has been drawn around some of these dots including a bright white dot with a pink outer ring, and a smaller white dot. The scene which may be unfolding inside this box has been magnified in the artist’s rendering. The artist’s digital rendering shows a possible cause of the large white dot with the pink outer ring. A brilliant white circle near our upper right shows a white dwarf, the ember of a dying star. At our lower left, in the relative foreground of the rendering, is what remains of a planet. Here, the planet resembles a giant boulder shedding thousands of smaller rocks. These rocks flow off the planet’s surface, pulled back toward the white dwarf in a long, swooping tail. Glowing orange fault lines mar the surface of the crumbling planet. In our upper left and lower right, inside the hazy blue clouds which blanket the rendering, are two other, more distant planets. After the rocks from the planet start striking the surface of the white dwarf, X-rays should be produced.
Megan WatzkeChandra X-ray CenterCambridge, Mass.617-496-7998mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu Lane FigueroaMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama256-544-0034lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov
lthough the deadline for disaster assistance has passed, FEMA is still in Georgia helping survivors impacted by Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene. You can visit any U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) locations listed below to meet with a FEMA representative about your application or to update your contact information. FEMA representatives are working with their SBA partners at these locations: Bulloch County Statesboro-Bulloch County Library 124 S. Main St. Statesboro, GA 30458 Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. Coffee County Satilla Regional Library 200 S Madison Ave Douglas, GA 31533 Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. Jeff Davis County Jeff Davis County Recreation Department 83 Buford Road Hazlehurst, GA 31539 Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. Lowndes County Valdosta State University Foundation Inc. 901 North Patterson Street Valdosta, GA 31601 Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday. Richmond County Centro Cristiano Oasis VIP 3265 Deans Bridge Rd Augusta, GA 30906 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday; Closed Sundays Telfair County Telfair Community Service Center 91 Telfair Ave # D McRae-Helena, GA 31055 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday; Closed Saturdays and Sundays Toombs County Center for Rural Entrepreneurship 208 E 1st St Vidalia, GA 30474 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday; Closed Saturdays and Sundays There are additional ways to check the status of your application or update your contact information:
Online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The FEMA App for mobile devices. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Survivors can also contact the Georgia Call Center Monday through Friday at 678-547-2861 for assistance with their application.
The National Society of Professional Engineers recently named Debbie Korth, Orion deputy program manager at Johnson Space Center, as NASA’s 2025 Engineer of the Year. Korth was recognized during an award ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 21, alongside honorees from 17 other federal agencies. The annual awards program honors the impactful contributions of federal engineers and their commitment to public service.
Korth said she was shocked to receive the award. “At NASA there are so many brilliant, talented engineers who I get to work with every day who are so specialized and know so much about a certain area,” she said. “It was very surprising, but very appreciated.” Korth has dedicated more than 30 years of her career to NASA, supporting human spaceflight development, integration, and operations across the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Orion Programs. Her earliest roles involved extravehicular and mission operations planning, as well as managing spaceflight hardware for shuttle missions and space station crews. Working on hardware such as the Crew Health Care System in the early days of space station planning and development was a unique experience for Korth. After spending significant time in Russia collaborating with Russian counterparts to integrate equipment such as a treadmill, cycle ergometer, and blood pressure monitor into their module, Korth recalled, “When we finally got that all delivered and integrated, it was a huge step because we had to have all of that on board before we could put crew members on the station for the first time. I remember feeling a huge sense of accomplishment and happiness that we were able to work through this international partnership and forge those relationships to get that hardware integrated.” Korth transitioned to the Orion Program in 2008 and has since served in a variety of leadership roles. In her current role, Korth assists the program manager in the design, development, testing, verification, and certification of Orion, NASA’s next-generation, human-rated spacecraft for Artemis missions. The spacecraft’s first flight test around the Moon during the Artemis I mission was a standout experience for Korth and a major accomplishment for the Orion team. “It was a long mission and every day we were learning more and more about the spacecraft and pushing boundaries,” she said. “We really wrung out some of the core systems – systems that were developed individually and for the first time we got to see them work together.” Korth said that understanding how different systems interact with each other is what she loves most about engineering. “In systems engineering, you really look at how changes to and the performance of one system affects everything else,” she said. “I like looking across the entire spacecraft and saying, if I have to strengthen this structure to take some additional landing loads, that’s going to add mass to the vehicle, which means I have to look at my parachutes and the thermal protection system to make sure they can handle that increased load.” The Orion team is working to achieve two major milestones in 2025 – delivery of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft to the Exploration Ground Systems team that will fuel and integrate Orion with its launch abort system at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and the spacecraft’s integration with the Space Launch System rocket, which is currently being stacked. These milestones will support the launch of the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration, with liftoff targeted no earlier than April 2026. “It’s going to be a big year,” said Korth.
Question for written answer E-000739/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Renew)
On 27 June 2007, the Commission began infringement proceedings against Ireland (reference INFR(2007)4011). Can the Commission please provide an update on why these infringement proceedings closed?
1.What was the outcome of the infringement proceedings?
2.What is the current status of these infringement proceedings?
Question for written answer E-000835/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Esther Herranz García (PPE)
Mushroom growers in La Rioja (Spain) have been grappling with invasive fungus Cladobotryum mycophilum since 2021. The fungus spreads quickly and has developed resistance to the few authorised plant protection products available to producers to keep it in check. The situation is leading to production losses, generating economic – and social – problems in mushroom-growing regions.
The sector is aware that national authorities in other Member States with the same problem have used the fungicide Geoxe, which is authorised for other crops. The fungicide is not approved in Spain, however.
In light of the above:
1.Is the Commission planning to reform legislation to guarantee the same conditions for producers in the 27 Member States and allow the EU-wide use of plant protection products approved by authorities in any EU country?
Global energy leaders from the power and utilities, oil and gas, and mining sectors are turning to the power of data and AI for streamlined workflows, more efficient operating systems, and better performing assets—the types of changes that help companies to empower their people and grow sustainable business. We’re prioritizing this work with customers and partners because we believe that widespread AI adoption signifies a pivotal shift for the energy industry, with huge value to be gained from digital and AI transformation. But beyond the individual productivity and efficiency gains that AI brings for any single company or industry, it can help us collectively expand renewables, decarbonize the energy value chain, and ignite climate innovation—and that’s a win for everyone.
We look forward to participating in CERAWeek 2025 to connect with business leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs across the global energy ecosystem from March 10 to 14, 2025, where we’ll explore the theme of “Moving ahead: energy strategies for a complex world”. This year’s theme covers a variety of topics across energy sectors and technologies and will include deep dives into geopolitics, business strategies, AI transformation, and climate impact.
Microsoft at CERAWeek
Power the new energy future with AI.
AI innovation and digital transformation in energy
Across the energy ecosystem, AI-powered solutions are becoming the foundation of global success stories in which companies like Maaden save thousands of hours of worktime, while Aydem Energy boosts customer satisfaction with a digital assistant powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Sevice. Another one of our leading customers, JERA, Japan’s largest power generation company, uses Azure OpenAI to drive digital transformation. The collaboration helps JERA to access advanced AI tools and cloud infrastructure, facilitating innovation and the development of new energy solutions for energy performance management, failure prediction, and advanced maintenance, leading to significant cost savings and increased reliability. JERA’s Digital Power Plant (DPP) project is improving functionality in the areas of operations, maintenance, performance management and health, safety, security, and environment (HSSE), and helps promote innovation and workplace safety at power stations. As a result, the number of remote monitoring sites provided by the Global Data Analyzing Center increased by 25% last year, and the number of sites offering 24-hour services tripled. JERA also implemented a dedicated AI agent called Emily which is being used by 3,000 employees and in some cases, has achieved operational efficiencies of more than 90%. By utilizing AI and data analytics, JERA can make more informed decisions, improve energy management, and support Japan’s energy transition efforts.
We’re eager to highlight these and other success stories at CERAWeek, where leaders from our energy, sustainability, cloud and AI, and security teams will share perspectives on the role of AI and digital technologies in the energy sector. For example, we will dive into sustainability topics such as carbon capture and emissions reduction, highlighting the many ways AI and cloud solutions are reshaping the energy landscape and driving net-zero goals across the energy value chain like Cosmo Energy who harnesses the power of Microsoft AI solutions to better analyze data and improve its ESG results. We’ll also discuss the latest learnings and opportunities around innovative services such as direct air capture and CO2 as a service.
Cybersecurity is another topic of increasing urgency, especially in the power and utilities sector. Throughout the week, we’ll discuss AI-powered approaches to securing grid infrastructure, as well as how to address vulnerabilities to allow resilient energy delivery. We’ll also join other power and utilities leaders at a fireside chat to discuss how AI adoption can help grid operators break through common industry roadblocks and drive faster, more secure innovation.
I look forward to participating in a Strategic Roundtable conversation on the topic of “AI Applications and Impacts in Action,” where we’ll discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI in driving sustainable business initiatives.
These conversations are both inspiring and insightful, as we’re witnessing every day the impact AI is having across the industry. Whether it’s Uniper strengthening cybersecurity, Petrobras streamlining employee workflows, or Enerjisa Uretim accelerating data processing for improved decision making, AI is changing the way we work in energy. We’re looking forward to not only sharing success stories, but also hearing from other technology and energy experts about how AI is creating more value for them.
Startups accelerate AI transformation and the energy transition
The climate crisis impacts everyone, and diversity in the startup ecosystem helps to ensure that solutions also reach everyone. People of color are disproportionately affected by climate change, yet Black and Latino founders receive less than 1.5% of total United States venture capital funding, women-founded organizations receive 1.9% of those funds, and Black and Latino women founders less than 0.1%1.
An important outcome of CERAWeek is knowledge sharing with a diverse group of global energy leaders that represent vastly different backgrounds and stages of business experience. Energy startups are a tremendous source of knowledge and innovation driving real impact across the industry. Transformation starts with people, not technology, and Microsoft is proud to support climate technology from underrepresented startups and CEOs. This year, we’ll hear from nine innovative startups sharing their unique perspectives on advancing diversity and inclusion in energy, and how they think creatively to secure reliable and sustainable energy sources.
Partnership, collaboration, and AI innovation in energy
The energy industry’s biggest challenges call for strategic collaboration and innovation across sectors and geographies, as real progress cannot be accomplished alone. Our partners are at the forefront of accelerating data modernization and AI innovation, helping to improve safety, efficiency, and productivity for the industry at large. You can hear from many of them at this year’s Innovation Agora, a marketplace buzzing with energy innovation and emerging technologies. The Agora promotes partnership, connection, and sharing among the energy community, and we’re excited to uncover new synergies, lead demonstrations, and explore opportunities to learn from other industry leaders.
At the Microsoft Agora House, we’re joined by partners and customers in sharing some of the ways they empower an AI-first energy workforce, operate for a secure and efficient energy future, advance their net-zero journeys, and grow sustainable and AI-powered businesses. Be sure to explore the Microsoft Experience Zone, featuring presentations from many partners that showcase transformative solutions and foster insightful discussions on energy innovation.
We’re honored to highlight many of the change-makers attending CERAWeek with us this year, including the following partners:
Accenture
Hertha Metals*
AIQ
Honeywell
Amperon
IBM
Aveva
IFS
Axis Sky Renewables*
Kanin*
Baker Hughes
Kauel*
c3.AI
Kongsberg Digital
Carbon Negative Solutions*
Loop Bioproducts*
Cegal
Mars Materials*
Cognite
NobleAI
Context Labs
NVIDIA
Crux OCM*
Schneider Electric
Decimetrix*
SLB
EY
Worlds
Halliburton
*Microsoft startup partner
Recently, Microsoft, alongside our partners SLB, Halliburton, Cognite, and AspenTech, convened in Munich, Germany with many of our customers, who shared AI-powered transformation stories driving increased productivity and improved operating efficiencies. Events like this allow us to not only highlight the work of our industry partners and customers, but also to share their expertise and create new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Power an AI-first energy future
Together with our customers and partners, we’re collectively empowering organizations to innovate for a new energy future and advance sustainability goals with AI you can trust. We look forward to engaging with you on the future of carbon markets, regional energy challenges, latest developments in consumer energy, and unlocking AI to transform the energy and resources value chain.
Learn more about Microsoft at CERAWeek.
Learn how Microsoft can help accelerate your AI and digital transformation journey:
Source:
1McKinsey and Company, Underrepresented start-up founders: The untapped opportunity, June 2023.
Darryl Willis
Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Energy and Resources Industry
Darryl leads a global team driving digital transformation across the energy sector through the deployment of Microsoft’s cloud and AI technology and partner solutions. With a deep knowledge of the global energy sector, Darryl leads this cross-functional team in building strategic partnerships and helping enable the energy transition, reduce carbon emissions, and fulfill growing demand with renewable sources.
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement:
“Ukraine has been bravely fending off Vladimir Putin’s cruel and unjust invasion for over three years. U.S. assistance – supported by Congress on a bipartisan basis – has helped Ukraine resist and hold its ground against a Russian army that was supposed to take Kyiv in weeks or even days. Now President Trump threatens those hard-fought gains and imperils the lives of the Ukrainian people by unilaterally cutting off the aid that has helped Ukraine maintain its freedom in the face of aggression. Cutting off arms now only undermines the prospect of a peace deal that depends on Ukraine’s ability to negotiate from a position of strength. I call on President Trump to reverse this short-sighted decision, which weakens the United States’ credibility on the global stage.”
Tampering with a Monitoring Device/Clean Air Act, Conspiracy
Trials
United States v. Jason Lee Wagner
No. 3:22-CR-01754(Western District of Texas)
ECS Senior Litigation Counsel Todd Gleason
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner
ECS Paralegal Chloe Harris
On February 7, 2025, a jury convicted Jason Lee Wagner of conspiracy and 12 smuggling violations (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 545, 2). Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2025.
Between March 2015 and December 2019, Wagner and others bought and sold endangered reptiles from individuals in Mexico. Wagner and other co-conspirator suppliers and middlemen used social media to offer reptiles for sale and to negotiate the terms of the sale and delivery with customers in the United States and Mexico. His co-conspirators also used international money transfers to provide for “crossing fees,” sales and purchases, and other expenses. They then packaged and re-packaged the reptiles for illegal crossings using USPS and other courier services to transport them between Mexico and the United States.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Indictments
United States v. Roy Ladell Weaver, et al.
No. 1:25-CR-00048 (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
ECS Trial Attorney Ron Sarachan
AUSA David Williams
RCEC Patricia Miller
On February 19, 2025, a grand jury indicted Roy Ladell Weaver and his company, Pro Diesel Werks, LLC, with conspiring to impede the lawful functions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA), and substantive CAA violations (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Pro Diesel Werks provided vehicle repair and maintenance and performance enhancement services, including services on diesel engines and vehicle emission systems. The indictment alleges that between 2013 and March 2024, Weaver and the company, along with co-conspirators, disabled the hardware emissions control systems on the diesel vehicles of Pro Diesel Werks’ customers (a practice referred to as a “delete” or “deleting”), defeating the systems’ ability to reduce pollutant gases and particulate matter released to the atmosphere. The defendants are also alleged to have tampered with the monitoring device and method required under the CAA, that is they disabled the onboard diagnostic system on vehicles preventing the system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware deletes (a practice referred to as a “tune” or “tuning”).
The defendants charged customers between approximately $2,000 and $4,000 per vehicle to remove and disable the emission control systems on motor vehicles with diesel engines.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On February 7, 2025, Corey Potter pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally transporting crab from Alaska (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2025. Kyle Potter, his son, was previously sentenced to pay a $20,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. A third defendant, Justin Welch, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and complete a three-year term of probation.
Corey Potter owns two crab catching vessels; Kyle Potter and Welch worked as vessel captains. In February and March 2024, the vessels harvested more than 7,000 pounds of Tanner and Golden king crab in Southeast Alaska. Corey Potter directed Welch and Kyle Potter to land the crab to Seattle, Washington, where they intended to sell it at a higher price than they would have in Alaska. Neither captain landed the harvested crab at a port in Alaska, and they never recorded the harvest on a fish ticket, as required under state law.
A large portion of the king crab that arrived in Seattle from Alaska had died and was unmarketable. Corey Potter knew that some of the crab aboard was infected with Bitter Crab Syndrome (BCS), a parasitic disease fatal to crustaceans. Officials were forced to destroy more than 4,000 additional pounds of Tanner crab due to the risk of BCS infection. If the defendants had properly landed the crab in Alaska, authorities could have inspected the harvest and removed the infected crab before leaving Alaska.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
United States v. Kendall Glenn Hacker
No. 5:25-CR-00002 (Eastern District of Kentucky)
AUSA Emily Greenfield
On February 7, 2025, Kendall Glenn Hacker pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Animal Crush statute (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(2), (a)(3)).
Between November 2021 and June 2022, Hacker sent money through online payment applications, such as PayPal and Venmo, to Michael Macartney, an online chat group administrator. The members and participants of these groups funded, created, obtained, received, exchanged and/or distributed animal crush videos.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Chamness Dirt Works, et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00430 (District of Oregon)
AUSA Bryan Chinwuba
RCEC Karla Perrin
On February 7, 2025, property management company Horseshoe Grove, LLC, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for asbestos work practice standards (42 U.S.C. §§ 7412(h),7413(c)(1)). Horseshoe Grove’s owner and operator Ryan Richter pleaded guilty to a CAA negligent endangerment violation (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(4)). Construction and demolition company Chamness Dirt Works, Inc., pleaded guilty to violating the CAA NESHAP for asbestos, and company owner and president, Ronald Chamness, pleaded guilty to a CAA negligent endangerment violation (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(4)). Sentencing is scheduled for April 3, 2025.
In November 2022, Horseshoe Grove acquired a property in The Dalles, Oregon, which included a mobile home park and two dilapidated apartment buildings. The previous owner provided the new buyers with an asbestos survey from December 2021, which identified more than 5,000 square feet of friable chrysotile asbestos within the two deteriorating buildings, with levels ranging from 2% to 25%. The survey also noted non-friable asbestos in various building materials, including siding and flooring, throughout the apartments. Despite these findings, Horseshoe Grove failed to implement the necessary precautions for asbestos removal.
In March 2023, Chamness Dirt Works began demolishing the two asbestos-laden structures without following proper removal procedures. Chamness did not engage a certified asbestos abatement contractor, did not wet the asbestos-containing debris, and dumped the material in a regular landfill.
Horseshoe Grove paid Chamness Dirt Works a total of $49,330 for the demolition, which did not meet the required safety standards.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
Nos.4:25-CR-00018, 4:24-CR-00006, 00084 (District of Montana)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jeff Starnes
ECS Paralegal Tonia Sibblies
On February 10, 2025, Hollis G. Hale pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1538(a)(1)(G), 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2025.
Hale conspired with Jack Schubarth to create giant hybrid sheep for captive hunting. Schubarth smuggled Marco Polo argali sheep parts from Kyrgyzstan into the United States. This protected species of sheep, native to high elevations in the Pamir region of Central Asia, is deemed the largest in the world.
In 2013, Schubarth provided genetic material to a third-party cloning facility, and, in 2016, received successfully cloned pure Marco Polo argali embryos. Schubarth raised a pure male argali clone that he named “Montana Mountain King.” In 2018, Schubarth began breeding Montana Mountain King with other species and selling the offspring throughout the U.S. To evade detection, Schubarth falsely labeled the offspring on Certificates of Veterinary Inspection and other official forms.
In June and July 2020, Hale facilitated the purchase and interstate transport of twelve hybrid Marco Polo argali sheep from Schubarth and falsely identified 43 species of sheep on a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Hale falsified these documents knowing these sheep are prohibited in Montana. Schubarth was sentenced in September 2024 to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks conducted the investigation.
United States v. Zackery Brandon Barfield
No. 5:25-CR-00011 (Northern District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Joseph Ravelo
On February 12, 2025, Zachary Brandon Barfield pleaded guilty to three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1372(a)(2)(A), 1375(b); 7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(2)(G), 136l(b)(2)). Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025.
Barfield is a charter and commercial fishing captain operating out of Panama City, Florida. In the summer of 2022, Barfield became frustrated with dolphins eating red snapper from the lines of charter fishing clients. Between June and August 2022, Barfield and others placed a commercial methomyl insecticide inside bait fish to feed to and poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat.
While captaining another fishing trip in December 2022, Barfield saw dolphins eating snapper from fishing lines. This time, he used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot and kill a dolphin that surfaced near his vessel. In the summer of 2023, while on a charter fishing trip, Barfield used the same shotgun to shoot a dolphin that surfaced near the lines of clients.
The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
United States v. James H. Spencer
No. 23-CR-00015 (Western District of Virginia)
AUSA Michael Baudinet
On February 21, 2025, James Howard Spencer, the Mayor of Glen Lyn, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. § 1319(c)(2)(A)). Spencer admitted to directing employees of the Town of Glen Lyn to illegally discharge raw sewage and other pollutants into the East River, a tributary of the New River, on three occasions- in the summer of 2019, December 2020, and June 2021.
The discharges occurred at a pump station located behind the Glen Lyn Post Office, which was not an authorized discharge point of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the Glen Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The East River, a perennial stream and a tributary of the New River, is a protected waterway under the CWA.
Spencer knowingly violated multiple conditions of the NPDES permit, including discharges from unauthorized locations and failing to report the discharges to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.
United States v. Liza Hash
No. 1:25-CR-20007 (Southern District of Florida)
AUSA Tom Watts-FitzGerald
On February 25, 2025, Liza Hash pleaded guilty to discharging oil into United States and contiguous zone waters, violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(c)(2), 1321(b)(3)). Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025.
Hash was the owner and operator of the S/V Juliet, a sailing vessel used for multi-day scuba diving trips between Miami and the Bahamas. Over the course of approximately six years, Hash’s vessel carried up to 12 passengers per trip, along with the crew, between the U.S. and the Bahamas.
On June 16, 2023, U.S. Coast Guard investigators boarded the Juliet following its return from the Bahamas. After noticing an active oil sheen originating from the vessel, they conducted a safety examination.
During the inspection, they noted oily water in the bilge, and a pump connected to the vessel’s grey water tank, to facilitate illegal overboard discharges. Hash had used the vessel’s grey water tank (which is intended to hold liquid waste from the boat’s washer, dryer, sinks, and showers) to store oil-contaminated bilge water and discharge overboard.
Investigators estimate that Hash discharged approximately 26,000 gallons of oily water during the five-year period.
The United States Coast Guard conducted the investigation.
United States v. Old Dutch Mustard Company, Inc., d/b/a Pilgrim Foods Company, et al.
No. 1:25-CR-00002 (District of New Hampshire)
ECS Trial Attorney Ron Sarachan
AUSA Matthew Hunter
ECS Paralegal Tonia Sibblies
On February 24, 2025, The Old Dutch Mustard Company, d/b/a Pilgrim Foods Company (Old Dutch), and company owner and president Charles Santich, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 1319(c)(2)(A)).
Old Dutch manufactured vinegar and mustard products, generating acidic wastewater during the process. Much of this wastewater consisted of spilled or leaked vinegar, or discarded vinegar that did not meet specifications. Old Dutch did not have a permit to discharge process wastewater. Instead, it stored the process wastewater in tanks and a trucking company hauled one or two truckloads of the wastewater off-site daily to the Rochester Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW). Old Dutch paid the trucking company for transporting each load. A second wastewater stream consisted of stormwater that became acidic after flowing through areas of the facility (especially the tank farm) where vinegar spilled. Old Dutch also paid the trucking company to haul the acidic stormwater to the POTW.
Santich decided to reduce costs by ordering workers to discharge some of the wastewater to a manmade ditch formed by an abandoned railroad bed at the top of a hill behind the facility, from which the wastewater would flow into the Souhegan River. In May 2017, Santich hired an excavation company to extend an underground pipe to the top of the hill behind the facility. He then directed an employee to repeatedly pump wastewater through the underground pipe to the abandoned railroad bed. Once the process wastewater or contaminated stormwater discharged at the top of the hill, it flowed to the river. Old Dutch did not have an NPDES or any other permit to discharge pollutants into the river.
In March 2021, Santich directed the same excavation company to install a sump at the corner of the tank farm area to collect the acidic stormwater and pump it directly up the hill through the buried pipe. Similarly, during the Fall of 2022, Santich hired the excavation company to clean out the undergrowth in the manmade ditch at the top of the hill and line it with riprap to create a better drainage ditch and facilitate the flow of wastewater to the river.
On August 2, 2023, EPA agents executed a search warrant at the Old Dutch facility and witnessed this illegal activity. Agents observed liquid that smelled like vinegar discharging from the end of the underground pipe into the riprap-lined ditch. The wastewater discharge had a pH of 3.6. The agents then conducted a dye test starting at the sump outside the corner of the tank farm area. The dye discharged from the underground pipe at the top of the hill and flowed along the riprap-lined drainage ditch and down to the river.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
On February 26, 2025, Fabcon Precast LLC (Fabcon) pleaded guilty to willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation (29 U.S.C. § 666(e)). The criminal charge is related to an incident where an employee was killed when a pneumatic door closed on his head.
Fabcon operates several facilities in the United States, including one in Grove City, Ohio, that manufactures precast concrete panels. At Fabcon, employees known as batch operators were responsible for the operation and cleaning of the facility’s only concrete mixer. Concrete was discharged from the bottom of the mixer through a pneumatic door. By design, the mixer had an exhaust valve that released the pneumatic energy powering the discharge door, rendering it inoperable. Some months prior to June 6, 2020, the handle that operated the valve broke off and was not replaced.
On June 6, 2020, Zachary Ledbetter, a batch operator since January 2020, was on duty when the discharge door failed to close after releasing a batch of concrete. Because the valve was broken, Ledbetter could not perform the proper procedure to make the door safe to work around. When he attempted to free the door it closed on his head, trapping him. Eventually, Ledbetter was freed and transported to a hospital where he died five days later.
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
No. 3:24-CR-00618 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
On February 27, 2025, a court sentenced Vyacheslav I. Piglitsin to time served and to pay $4,355 in restitution. On March 2, 2024, Piglitsin drove over the border from Mexico with Mexican pesticides that he failed to present for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433 and 1436). Inspectors found seventy-two 1-liter bottles of “Bovitraz” in his vehicle.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Sentencings
United States v. Michael Hart
No. 3:24-CR-00383 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
Former AUSA Melanie Pierson
AUSA Mark Pletcher
On February 3, 2025, a court sentenced Michael Hart to time served followed by one year of supervised release. Hart also will pay $1,500 in restitution. Hart pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally import hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Mexico and sell them in violation of law (18 U.S.C. § 371). In addition, Hart admitted to conspiring to illegally import hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), namely HCFC 22, which is banned under the Clean Air Act.
Between June and December 2022, Hart purchased refrigerants in Mexico and smuggled them into the United States in his vehicle, concealed under a tarp and tools. Hart posted the refrigerants for sale on OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and other sites, and sold them for a profit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Thalia Zambrano
No. 3:24-CR-01552 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
On February 6, 2025, a court sentenced Thalia Zambrano to time served, after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371).
On June 28, 2024, authorities apprehended Zambrano when she drove into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with 18 bottles of undeclared “Taktic” (Amitraz) concealed beneath a blanket on the back seat her car. Regulators in the United States canceled this pesticide due to the high concentration of amitraz.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Andrew Laughlin
No. 2:24-CR-00104 (Eastern District of California)
AUSA Kathryn Lydon
On February 10, 2025, a court sentenced Andrew Laughlin to pay a $5,000 fine, complete a two-year term of probation, and pay $4,209 in restitution into the Lacey Act Reward Fund. Laughlin pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling reptiles into the United States (18 U.S.C. § 545).
In 2017, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents identified Laughlin as part of a nationwide investigation into the smuggling of turtles from the United States to an individual in Hong Kong (Individual A). Individual A met and maintained contact with certain wildlife-smuggling associates via Facebook. Investigators identified Laughlin as a suspect in the wildlife smuggling ring from Individual A’s Facebook contacts and communications with covert agents. In addition to corresponding on Facebook, Laughlin also sent text messages to Individual A and co-conspirators.
Between March and April 2018, Laughlin acted as a “middleman” in an international amphibian smuggling ring. During a conversation with an undercover agent, Laughlin said that he participated in the ring in order to acquire hard-to-find newts. He shipped or received at least four packages of amphibians, including packages to or from individuals located in Hong Kong and Sweden. The packages were falsely labeled as items including a “toy car,” “rubber toys,” or “a ceramic art piece.” The boxes actually contained live animals, including eastern box turtles, spotted turtles, and a variety of newt species.
A search warrant executed at the defendant’s residence uncovered 80 live newts of various species. Some of them tested positive for a virulent fungus which originated in Asia and has spread throughout the illegal pet trade. The restitution covered expenses incurred to store and test the animals.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Photo of newts seized from Laughlin’s residence; photo included in case press release at time of guilty plea
Nos. 1:22-CR-00131, 00132 (Eastern District of California)
AUSA Karen Escobar
On February 10, 2025, a court sentenced Jose Angel Beltran-Chaidez to 24 months incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release. Beltran-Chaidez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin in this multi-defendant case involving drugs and animal welfare violations (21 U.S.C. §§ 841 (a)(1), (b)(1)(A)).
Between March and April 2021, Jorge Calderon-Campos (who calls himself “Americano”) supplied 26 pounds of methamphetamine to co-defendants Mark Garcia and Alberto Gomez-Santiago, and an additional 60 pounds to Francisco Javier Torres Mora. Between January and April 2022, Calderon-Campos also possessed roosters he used to participate in an animal fighting venture.
During a search of his residence on April 26, 2022, law enforcement officers found numerous hens and roosters, various cockfighting implements (including razors and spurs) and six cockfighting trophies, including several with plates inscribed with “Team Amkno” (shorthand for “Team Americano”). At Calderon-Campos’s “stash house,” law enforcement officers found 14 hens and 77 roosters, cockfighting leashes, a cockfighting trophy, and a variety of syringes and pill bottles containing substances related to cockfighting supplements.
Jorge Calderon-Campos was sentenced in November 2024 to eight years and one month of incarceration. Calderon-Campos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and to violating the Animal Welfare Act (21 U.S.C. §§ 841 (a)(1), (b)(1)(A)); 7 U.S.C. § 2156(b); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)).
On August 26, 2024, a court sentenced Antonio Beltran-Chaidez to 46 months’ incarceration, followed by 24 months’ supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)).
In January 2024, co-defendant Gomez-Santiago was sentenced to four years and nine months incarceration, followed by 60 months supervised release. Mora was sentenced to four years and nine months incarceration. Horacio Ortega-Martinez, another associate of Calderon-Campos, was sentenced in April 2023 to 18 months incarceration, followed by 36 months supervised release, after pleading guilty to possessing gamecocks for an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C § 2156 (b)).
Co-defendant Garcia pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 3, 2025, to 24 months’ incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release. Byron Adilio Alfaro-Sandoval is scheduled for status conference June 18, 2025.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
On February 11, 2025, a court sentenced Christopher Lee Carroll to serve nine years of incarceration and to pay $3 million in restitution. A jury convicted Carroll in August 2024 of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA), 13 violations of the CAA, and two counts of threatening a witness (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 2, 1014, 1512 (b)(3), 1344; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, owned a time share exit company called Square One Group LLC. In April of 2020, they submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The loan application falsely stated that the spouses of Reed and Carroll owned the company to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. Carroll also used his wife’s name to avoid any potential liability for the fraud.
The PPP loan was supposed to help save businesses and jobs, but Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work or keep paying for health insurance for 17 of those employees. Instead, he used it to start a trucking company, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses. Additionally, Reed and Carroll later sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million, taking a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company after the loan was approved.
From May 2020 through December 2021, Carroll and Whiskey Dix violated the CAA by unlawfully removing the emissions control systems from more than 30 diesel-fueled trucks. In January 2022, Carroll tried to pressure two employees to take responsibility for the emissions tampering. When one of the employees said he was going to talk to federal investigators, Carroll threatened to stop paying for the employee’s attorney.
The court sentenced Whiskey Dix to complete a three-year term of probation after the jury convicted the company on 16 CAA violations. Reed pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and was sentenced January 23, 2025, to time served, and five years of supervised release. Reed was held jointly liable for $3 million in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On February 13, 2025, a court sentenced Jeffrey Radtke to 21 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Radtke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos (18 U.S.C.§§ 371, 48(a)(2), (a)(3)).
Between June 2021 and August 2022, Radtke sent more than 40 payments (ranging from $1 through $300) he received from co-conspirators to pay videographers in Indonesia and other locations outside of the United States to create videos depicting the torture and deaths of juvenile macaque monkeys.
During the execution of a search warrant in April 2023, law enforcement found more than 2,600 videos and 2,700 images depicting animal crushing on Radtke’s computer.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jonathan Achtemeier
No. 3:24-CR-05072 (Western District of Washington)
AUSA Seth Wilkinson
AUSA Lauren Staniar
SAUSA Karla Perrin
On February 14, 2025, a court sentenced Jonathan Achtemeier to pay a $25,000 fine and serve four months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Achtemeier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA) for his role in tampering with required monitoring devices on diesel trucks (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Between 2019 and 2022, Achtemeier modified the software on hundreds of trucks nationwide to prevent the monitoring devices from detecting the removal of emissions controls. Achtemeier conspired with mechanics and truck fleet operators, instructing them on how to remove or disable anti-pollution hardware on diesel trucks, a process known as “deleting.” Achtemeier tampered with the monitoring device on his clients’ trucks by connecting laptops to the trucks’ onboard computers and remotely “tuning” the vehicles’ computers, which rendered required monitoring devices inaccurate. This allowed the trucks to run without functioning emissions control systems and resulted in the trucks emitting significantly more pollution than legally allowed.
Achtemeier charged as much at $4,500 per truck for work that often took him two hours or less. He advertised his services on social media nationwide, doing business as Voided Warranty Tuning or Optimized Ag. Between 2019 and 2022 his company took in more than $4.3 million in gross profits.
The Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
Assistance from ECS Senior Counsel Elinor Colbourn
On February 18, 2025, a court sentenced Andres Alejandro Sanchez to complete a three-year term of probation to include six months’ home detention. Sanchez pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally importing a spider monkey into the United States (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), 3373(d)(2)).
On October 7, 2024, Sanchez travelled from Mexico to Laredo, Texas, and failed to declare a spider monkey he had in his vehicle to Customs and Border Protection officers as he attempted to cross the border.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Case photo of baby spider monkey rescued by authorities
United State v. Jose Carrillo
No. 8:23-CR-00222 (Middle District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Matt Morris
AUSA Erin Favorit
ECS Paralegal Jonah Fruchtman
On February 18, 2025, a court sentenced Jose Carrillo to 84 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Carrillo pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and knowingly possessing a firearm after a felony conviction (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 922(g)(1) and 924(d)).
On June 7, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Carrillo’s residence, seizing a total of 10 pit bull-type dogs. Several of the dogs exhibited scarring consistent with dogfighting. Authorities also discovered a .22 caliber rifle, a bloodstained wooden dogfighting “pit,” syringes, veterinary medications, a skin stapler, break sticks used to separate fighting dogs, and other suspected dogfighting paraphernalia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance from the following agencies: Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshal Service; and the Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office.
Photo of dogs from Carillo’s home included in press release, link below.
Nos. 2:23-CR-00600, 2:24-CR-00890 (District of Arizona)
AUSA Glenn McCormick
On February 18, 2025, a court sentenced Eric T. Scionti to 47 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Scionti pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and Animal Crushing in two separate cases (18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8), 48(a)(1)).
In December 2022, federal authorities received an anonymous tip that Scionti, a convicted felon, possessed a number of handguns, as well as grenades and bullet-proof body armor. On January 18, 2023, agents executed a search warrant, seizing six firearms and 1,826 rounds of ammunition from areas of a residence controlled by the defendant. Scionti has multiple Arizona state felony convictions and was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
While researching the defendant’s online activities, agents found video evidence depicting Scionti torturing pigeons. Agents executed a subsequent search warrant on September 29, 2023, for records and information associated with Scionti’s email account. During that search, agents seized approximately 168 videos and 89 digital photographs depicting Scionti torturing and mutilating live pigeons.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigations in these cases.
On February 19, 2025, a court sentenced Manuel Domingos Pita to 48 months’ incarceration and to pay more than $55 million in restitution. Also, Pita will forfeit real estate and cash/bank accounts. Pita pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and a willful violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act for causing the death of an employee (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 1343; 29 U.S.C. § 666(e)).
Pita created and operated several shell construction companies, including one named Domingos 54 Construction, Inc. Pita used Domingos 54 to provide workers, including undocumented aliens, with construction jobs. However, Pita failed to secure the required workers compensation insurance coverage for these employees by falsifying the number of workers for which he sought coverage in worker’s compensation insurance applications. In addition, Pita failed to pay any federal employment taxes on the wages that these workers earned during the course of the scheme between 2018 and 2022.
Pita failed to disclose the number of workers he had. Had he properly disclosed the number of workers, he would have paid an additional $22.7 million+ in premiums. Additionally, Pita failed to pay to the IRS over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on those workers’ wages.
Between February and July 2019, investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued six citations to Domingos 54 for failure to provide fall protection to workers. Even after being cited for these violations, Pita continued to ignore OSHA requirements. In March 2020, Pita assigned a worker and three other carpenters to install sheeting on the roof of a residential home in windy conditions without providing the required fall-protection gear or ensuring its use. As a result, one of the workers was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Nos. 3:24-CR-00101, 00116 (Northern District of Florida)
ECS Deputy Chief Joe Poux
ECS Paralegal Jonah Fruchtman
On February 20, 2025, a court sentenced Fernando Cruz Rubio to time served. Rubio pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) for failing to maintain an oil record book (ORB) (33 U.S.C. § 1908(a)).
Rubio worked as a chief engineer on the M/V Suhar, a Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola, Florida. The ship was managed by Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., which was responsible for the ship’s day-to-day operations, including hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all environmental and international regulations.
The Coast Guard inspected the ship when it arrived in Pensacola on August 25, 2023. Inspectors determined that the vessel’s crew regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water overboard, bypassing onboard pollution control equipment, and falsified the ship’s ORB to conceal these discharges. On various trips, between March 2021 through August 25, 2023, Rubio, as the Suhar’s chief engineer, failed to accurately maintain the ORB and did not record overboard bilge water discharges.
Gremex was sentenced in October 2024 to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance plan. The shipping corporation also pleaded guilty to violating APPS.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service conducted the investigation.
United States v. Clancy Logistics, Inc., et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00344 (District of Oregon)
AUSA Andrew Ho
RCEC Gwendolyn Russell
On February 25, 2025, a court sentenced to Clancy Logistics, Inc., and owner Timothy C. Clancy, to each complete three-year terms of probation. They were also ordered to pay a fine of $101,510.00, jointly and severally. The defendants pleaded guilty to a felony count of tampering with a Clean Air Act monitoring device (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between October 2019 and July 2023, Timothy C. Clancy tampered with the onboard diagnostic systems (OBDs) and caused others to tamper with the OBDs, of at least 13 Class 8 diesel semi-trailer trucks owned or operated by his companies, Clancy Transport, Inc., and Clancy Logistics, Inc. The defendants’ actions prevented the OBDs from detecting malfunctions caused by the deletion of the vehicles’ emission control systems, in violation of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
As part of this process, Clancy directed his employees to disable and remove the emissions hardware from his companies’ vehicles. This involved removing exhaust systems and their corresponding emissions control components from the vehicles, hollowing out the functioning portion of the devices so that only the casing remained, and re-installing the casing to create the appearance that the emissions controls were intact. The vehicles’ OBDs were then tuned so that they could no longer detect the removal of the control equipment.
Clancy and his companies tampered with the OBDs on their diesel semi-trailer trucks so that they could operate the vehicles with real or perceived increased performance and fuel efficiency and reduce or eliminate the cost and burden associated with maintaining the vehicles. As a result, a greater volume of pollutants was emitted from the vehicles.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
No. 5:24-CR-00028 (Western District of North Carolina)
AUSA Katherine T. Armstrong
On February 27, 2025, a court sentenced Robert G. Gambill to pay a $9,500 fine and to forfeit a rifle, scope, and ammunition for killing a bald eagle in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 668(a)). As required under provisions of the Act, $2,500 of the fine will be apportioned equally between two witnesses who reported the shooting.
On June 5, 2024, Gambill set his firearm on a fencepost and targeted, shot, and killed a bald eagle that was perched in a tree near a bridge in Sparta, North Carolina. After killing the eagle, Gambill drove away from the scene, abandoning the carcass on the bank of the New River. Two witnesses recovered the carcass and turned it over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The U.S. FWS forensic laboratory determined that injuries suffered by the bald eagle were consistent with a gunshot wound from a high-powered rifle.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 28, 2025, a court sentenced Willie Russell to 24 months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and exhibiting dogs in an animal fighting venture (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)(1); 18 U.S.C. § 371). Russell is the fourteenth and final defendant to plead guilty in this federal dog fighting case. The other co-defendants are: Tamichael Elijah; Marvin Pulley, III; Brandon Baker; Christopher Travis Beaumont; Herman Buggs, Jr.; Terrance Davis; Timothy Freeman; Terelle Ganzy; Gary Hopkins; Cornelious Johnson; Rodrecus Kimble; Donnametric Miller; Willie Russell; and, Fredricus White.
On April 24, 2022, the defendants converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. They brought a total of 24 pit bull-type dogs to fight in a series of matches over that weekend. Law enforcement personnel who disrupted the event found numerous dogs inside crates in cars on the property.
The participants used their cars to store dogs who had already fought, as well as those awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Some dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued a total of 27 dogs, including a badly injured dog that later perished from its injuries. Dogs in the cars also bore recent injuries and scars.
All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Defendants Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting (i.e., handling) a dog in a dog fight. Defendants Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Defendants Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General; and the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
Published: February 28 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) issued the following statement condemning President Trump and Vice President Vance’s rhetoric during their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
“Today’s behavior by President Trump and Vice President Vance would be more shocking if it wasn’t the new normal that this administration is forcing on our allies, partners and even our own citizens. Russia has not been able to break Ukraine’s spirit nor its will to fight. We are certain President Trump’s childish tantrum will not reach that objective either. Ukrainians have strong bipartisan support for their fight in Congress and Ukrainian flags continue to hang across our communities in the United States. We stand with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and will continue to condemn Putin’s aggression toward the brave and honorable citizenry of Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Princess Astrid of Belgium PM deeply appreciates the initiative of the Princess Astrid to lead a 300 member delegation to India
PM recalls positive association of the Royal Family of Belgium with India
The two leader’s commitment to new mutually beneficial partnership with Belgium including in the areas of trade, investment, technology, innovation, defence, agriculture, life sciences, space, skilling among others
Posted On: 04 MAR 2025 9:58PM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today met Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, who is leading a high-level Belgian Economic Mission to India from 1-8 March 2025.
Prime Minister welcomed Princess Astrid to India and deeply appreciated her initiative of a big delegation of over 300 members, including prominent business leaders, government officials, and representatives from various sectors.
This is the second time Princess Astrid in spearheading an Economic Mission to India, underscoring the significance of strong economic ties between the two nations which have been on an upward trajectory.
The discussions between PM and HRH Princess Astrid spanned a wide array of areas, including trade, investment, technology, defence, innovation, clean energy, infrastructure, agriculture, skilling, academic exchanges, and cultural and people-to-people ties.
Both sides agreed to work closely to discover new pathways for cooperation across emerging and high-impact sectors, which would strengthen economic resilience, foster innovation-led growth, and deepen bilateral cooperation to benefit the people of both countries.
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, today. He appreciated her initiative to lead a 300-member Economic Mission to India.
In a post on X, he stated:
“Pleased to meet HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium. Deeply appreciate her initiative to lead a 300-member Economic Mission to India. Look forward to unlocking limitless opportunities for our people through new partnerships in trade, technology, defence, agriculture, life sciences, innovation, skilling and academic exchanges.
@MonarchieBe”
Pleased to meet HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium. Deeply appreciate her initiative to lead a 300-member Economic Mission to India. Look forward to unlocking limitless opportunities for our people through new partnerships in trade, technology, defence, agriculture, life sciences,… pic.twitter.com/Fjx0x44Vob
March 4, 2025Cincinnati, OH, United StatesEnforcement and Removal
CINCINNATI — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Simeon Roosenov Moutafov, a citizen of Bulgaria, Feb. 24 with a final order of removal.
Moutafov has convictions of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in Madison County, Illinois.
“Moutafov is an aggravated felon with no legal status in United States and will be headed back to his home country,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “I’m proud of our officers’ efforts to ensure safer communities by removing public safety and national security threats.”
Members of the public can report immigration crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE Detroit’s mission to increase public safety in our Michigan and Ohio communities on X at @ERODetroit.
Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English
The UN Statistical Commission, the highest body of the global statistical system and a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council, plays a key role in the coordination and standardisation of data and statistics. The Director General of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) will chair the Commission for a second year in 2025.